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August 27, 2008

Schadenfreude 57 (A Continuing Series)

They booed Alex Rodriguez Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium on what was supposed to be the first big night of the rest of the season, booed him as loudly as they have lately, booed him maybe as loudly as they ever have. ... they booed him as if he were Jonathan Papelbon or Kevin Youkilis or even Manny Ramirez, in absentia. They booed A-Rod Tuesday night like he was Boston. ...

He carried the Yankees for one first-round series in 2004 against the Twins and has never done it again when the games matter the most.

Now he has numbers with runners in scoring position that are as pleasant to read as a ransom note. the Yankees have not had a worse loss this season.

It is late August, the Boston Red Sox are in town, and a poor showing by the gurgling Yankees could sink their playoff hopes. This may be the closest the Yankees get to the postseason, and Alex Rodriguez is in October form.

Rodriguez went 0 for 5 with two double plays, two strikeouts and a throwing error ... The Yankees are 11-12 in August, and Rodriguez has grounded into nine double plays in the month while hitting .238.

The Yankees talked big about the importance of these games against the Red Sox to their playoff aspirations. But they whiffed on the field in a 7-3 loss to the Red Sox last night. ... The Yankees choked on most of their numerous opportunities and fell six games behind the Red Sox in the wild- card chase.

We often talk about the game finding a particular player. But last night, it felt like this whole 2008 Yankees season hoisted itself from its hammock and staggered around, tossing aside empty whiskey bottles and half-eaten bags of Cheetos, until it tracked down Alex Rodriguez. ...

A-Rod doesn't deserve the most blame for this playoff-free Yankees season, not with the overall numbers he has tallied. But last night, in the season's most important game, the $275-million man earned the scorn of Yankee Stadium like he rarely has before. ... And at this moment of the season, with perhaps their last real chance down the toilet, it feels justified.

We will remember Rodriguez dallied with Boston, didn't go there, came to the Yankees instead in 2004, and in his time here the nature of the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry has reversed to Red Sox champs, Yankees chumps. Rodriguez is the face of that historic flip-flop. He has bought into that role twice now, first when he forced his trade here, then last offseason when he accepted the largest financial package ever to return through the backdoor. ...

He produced seven outs in five at-bats, stranded seven runners and made an error in the field. He played his worst in the Yanks' biggest game. ... The Yankee season is going extinct. Rodriguez is the face of the failure.

37 comments:

But last night, it felt like this whole 2008 Yankees season hoisted itself from its hammock and staggered around, tossing aside empty whiskey bottles and half-eaten bags of Cheetos, until it tracked down Alex Rodriguez.

Patton Oswalt has a great run about Cheetos. I wish I had the mp3, but it's truly hilarious.

For all the hand-wringing and woe is me whining going on right now, the writers all seem to forget that the Yankees still have two more games to pick up at least a game of ground. I'm not saying they will, or that it's even likely after last night's game, but the point is still there. That's why the Sox need to keep the foot on the throat, and maybe even give that foot a good twist.

I took vacation this week, and this morning I am starting my day with the YES encore presentation of last night's game, since I wasn't able to watch it live. This presents its own opportunities for Schadenfreude - Kay on the pre-game about how important the game/series is, Leiter talking about how Wakefield's knuckleball doesn't look too good tonight which is good news for the Yankees, the past games where the Yankees have beaten Wakefield, etc.I'm only up to the top of the 2nd, so hope is still alive in the Bronx (Red Sox tie the game on "two nothing hits")......but not for long!

We saw him do some stand-up as part of an Aimee Mann show years ago in New York. At several points, we were in tears. I have a few of her shows, but I'd like to find a recording of the gig we saw.

Why is it that people think that games after the All-Star break "matter more" than they do at the beginning of the season?

I think the comment refers to playoff series. But without his regular season performance, there may not have been any playoffs in 2005-2006-2007.

On top of that, A-Rod singlehandedly saved the Yankees' collective asses last year.

Yeah, they could be quite close to the cellar without him.

the writers all seem to forget that the Yankees still have two more games to pick up at least a game of ground

The standard line the media was taking last night -- from the NY press to Remy to whoever else -- was a NYY sweep was essential. And sticking to that and coming up with clever quips is far more more entertaining than "2 of 3 is still good, but they have to bear down now and win tonight". Yaaawwwwwn.

The standard line the media was taking last night -- from the NY press to Remy to whoever else -- was a NYY sweep was essential. And sticking to that and coming up with clever quips is far more more entertaining than "2 of 3 is still good, but they have to bear down now and win tonight". Yaaawwwwwn.

That's the MSM for you - always aiming for the easy story, as opposed to the more complicated story. At least we all know that the Yankees aren't buried if they win the next 2. They ARE buried if they get swept, and if they lose one more they're in serious, serious trouble. Okay, fine, even more serious trouble.

'i want nix to see a win''Nix 800,002 Ococ 6''Nix 800,002 Ooco 8''Ococ!! Show fucking Nix who's boss!''It's funny, I think this whole Coco vs Nixon thing could evolve into just being "FU NIX!!!" every time ococ does something good. Nix is just the man to like that, too!''FU NIX!!!! HAHAHA''CHOCOLATE RAIN!!!!!!!''I wonder how many fists Nix to the face tonight.....'

FUCK YEAH TO ALL OF THIS.I was even cursing Coco just before he had the HUGE single. i said to the yakns fan next to me, "dont worry he's an automatic out"i couldnt believe the rally with two outs!

it really did feel like a playoff game (ive only been to 1). the atmosphere was very intense. thats definitely the loudest ive heard anyone booed (AROD). i mean it was fucking LOUD! Then when he made a routine play in the field, they booed him again. it was great.i did my sneak into a better seat routine, and wen to the same seat i got last time. again no one was there. 1st base side 40 rows behind jeters parents.they kicked me out when there was some confusion about the seats next to me, but i went back. fuck them. no one bothered me after that.i literally bumped into mike lupica. i figured since tonight im going to leave right after the final out, i hung around last night and did the whole parking lot thing. jeter was the first to leave. then they booed arod. HEIDI IS LOVERLY up close, or maybe i was shit faced. lopez walked by, about a foot in front of us and no one knew who he was. "you pitched a good inning" i told him. poor guy looked surprised anyone knew who he was.i got to see kay, leiter, reggie (REGGIE!). i find it pretty wierd that you can get that close, right before they drive into the highway, you can get a foot away from their car. good thing im not michael kay's hinkley Jr.

i had a really good time last night. i was proud of our lineup. i really didnt think there was any way they bottom 3 would contribute. i hope double windup can get us another win.

I firmly believed going into this series that if the Red Sox won ONE game, it's over for the Yankees. Yankee sweep of Boston makes it 2 GB... Red Sox winning the first game makes the best the Yankees can hope for 4 GB. FAIL. Yankees FAIL.

I like Aimee Mann a lot. She's not really a mainstream success, but she writes very good, literate songs, and has a great voice. And her cameo on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was hilarious. I still think Harry Nilsson's version of "One" is the best, though. :)

ish, 4 games really isn't that big a spread for the Yankees (or most any team, really), no matter how inconsistent they've been this season. 6 games I'm more comfortable with - even then, there isn't much difference, but 6 just seems a bit safer, you know? I mean, 7 games up with 17 to go isn't always safe...

That being said, I do think that the Sox taking the first game took a lot of wind out of the MFY's sails. A win tonight takes that much more out, and possibly increases the chances of a sweepy-sweep. Which, of course, would be like Christmas in August.

4 games really isn't that big a spread for the Yankees (or most any team, really), no matter how inconsistent they've been this season

I disagree. It is extremely hard to make up 4 games when the teams in front of you are playing decently. Look how long we've been labouring, how long it takes to make up even one game, and how quickly we are pushed back.

And it's almost September! There would have to be several spectacular collapses for the Yankees to see postseason play.

I don't care about mainstream success, either; Lord knows enough of my favorite bands have had mainstream fame elude them. I probably should have said "she's not as well-known as she should be", which is more along the lines of what I meant. Me brayn no werk sometimez.

I bow to your point re: making up games; I suppose it's why great comebacks are still quite rare compared to teams getting a lead and keeping it. I'm just a cautious SOB, I suppose.

Her songs about being ignored by tastemakers are very meaningful to me.

I'm just a cautious SOB, I suppose.

Nothing wrong with that. I only meant that comebacks are indeed rare. Generally if there are several games between teams (not 1, 1.5, .5) in a division by Sept 1, things don't change very much by Oct 1.

If Schadenfreude is the Cheeto flavor of the day for you, you must go over to Replacement Level Yankees Weblog. The game thread from yesterday is great reading, but today's thread titled "It's Over Johnny" has some real nuggets.

The curmudgeonly but curiously articulate Old Thurman Fan says:

Bye Andy. Dont let the jesus fish hit you on the ass on your way out the door. Nimrod. Where to start? 9 more years of great numbers coming up.I hope Madogga gives you a highly virulent form of the clap and you end up looking like Two Face before your HOF induction, you gutless shitemiester. I still love the Yankees.

A-Rod consistently fascinates me. He's an incredible baseball player, an intelligent human being, and a gigantic bundle of neuroses, playing under one of the biggest microscopes in all of professional sports, and often the scuttlebutt of tabloid journalism and idle gossip. He's one of the greatest players I've ever seen in my baseball-watching history. And I think he will be far, far, far happier when he has retired from baseball.

I don't know about that. One RBI in four postseason games? I don't consider that saving the Yankees asses!

I believe the comment referred to the Yankees making it to the post-season at all. That was mostly down to Alex.

I was noting to Allan last night how amazing it is that so many people here actually think Alex Rodriguez is a lousy baseball player. We were both chuckling over it.

I can't stand A-Rod either, but he's absolutely one of the greatest players of our time. A lot of people here apparently don't realize that, which I find bizarre.

I guess to me the 54 home runs and 156 RBIs don't account for much when you -- yet again -- lay a big fat egg in the postseason. My recollection is that last year A-Rod had a ton of clutch hits and clutch home runs all year, but what people remember, especially in New York, is that one RBI in the postseason.I think A-Rod gets ripped so much because of the salary and the fact that he hasn't done much for NY in the postseason. He really is pretty good, but people just like tearing into him.

This was actually a big subject of our dinner time conversation! I feel the same way. His story, from golden boy with the baseball world at his feet to being so loathed, even (and especially) by fans of his own team, is incredible.

When he came up with Seattle, I had a huge crush on him - he was the LBJ of his day :) - and just couldn't believe what an incredible player he was. I used to love to read about him.

When Seattle came to NY, I used to go to the Stadium with binoculars. (Allan called it Alex-cam.) I can hardly believe this is the same guy.